Israel Vote: No Bloc Hits 61 as Envelope Ballots Are Counted
(MENAFN) Israeli election officials have counted more than 29,000 double-envelope ballots, about 6% of the total, as the tally enters its decisive stage, Israeli media reported Thursday.
The count stands at 29,253 out of nearly 500,000 such ballots, according to a leading Israeli daily. The Central Elections Committee expects to finish by the afternoon, the report said.
Double-envelope ballots are cast by voters outside their assigned polling stations, including soldiers, diplomats, police officers and displaced residents. Officials verify identification details on the outer envelope to block duplicate voting, then separate it from the anonymous ballot before counting.
The outstanding votes could shift individual parties’ seat totals and tip the balance between the rival blocs.
With all regular ballots counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 53 seats, according to an Israeli television channel. The opposition bloc led by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot was projected at 48, and predominantly Arab parties at 19.
Neither main bloc was projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
The Joint List was projected to take 12 seats and the United Arab List (Ra’am) seven, giving Arab parties a record combined total of 19.
Voter turnout hit 77.7%, the highest since 1999, according to the election committee.
The count stands at 29,253 out of nearly 500,000 such ballots, according to a leading Israeli daily. The Central Elections Committee expects to finish by the afternoon, the report said.
Double-envelope ballots are cast by voters outside their assigned polling stations, including soldiers, diplomats, police officers and displaced residents. Officials verify identification details on the outer envelope to block duplicate voting, then separate it from the anonymous ballot before counting.
The outstanding votes could shift individual parties’ seat totals and tip the balance between the rival blocs.
With all regular ballots counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 53 seats, according to an Israeli television channel. The opposition bloc led by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot was projected at 48, and predominantly Arab parties at 19.
Neither main bloc was projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
The Joint List was projected to take 12 seats and the United Arab List (Ra’am) seven, giving Arab parties a record combined total of 19.
Voter turnout hit 77.7%, the highest since 1999, according to the election committee.
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